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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Hair Loss--Phase One

Dear family and friends,Gabrielle here. Well, today was the day. Hair on the pillow. Hair in the shower. Hair on the comb. Hair on my clothes. It has begun! So Daniel and I went straight to the cheapest hair salon and had the stylist cut it SHORT! Now as it falls out, there will be less of a mess. It was a little sad watching her take off so much hair, but I keep telling myself it is a small price to pay for healing medicine.Sadly, Steve and I decided to cancel our Canlis reservation for Valentine's Day. I just can't eat that much in the evenings and am pretty tired out by then too. Fear not, however, dinner at home with my sweetheart will be just fine...and perhaps I'll make him suffer through a romantic comedy. I am pleased to report that Renee and Daniel made it safely to and from Spokane Sunday/Monday for Daniel's U.W. medical school interview. He was interviewed by three doctors and he feels like it went well. He loved seeing the new facilities in Spokane--just built in 2010. If he gets into U.W. and is assigned to Spokane for his first year, he will do just fine. He raved about the awesome anatomy lab with cool spaces for four students per cadaver. Gross! Thank you for your prayers that God's plans for Daniel and med school will unfold in just the right way and time.So many kindnesses that I fear I will forget to mention some since I don't blog every day. But off the top of my mind I am thankful for good visits yesterday with my friends Doris and Loretta, and on the phone with Maribeth. And thanks, Doris, for the yummy lunch and cookbook! We enjoyed a dinner-time visit with my sister-in-law, Tania, last night and she is doing our taxes for us (she's a brilliant CPA/MBA)! Dee, a cancer survivor and new friend I haven't even met yet (we were introduced via e-mail through another friend) has sent me a great devotional book and two books to help me eat well through cancer. Evy has sent me a beautiful hand-knitted blue hat. Colleen and Mike brought over homemade yogurt and granola today. I will eat some at my mid-afternoon snack time! (Daniel's phone barks like a dog when it's time for my meals and snacks, and I, like Pavlov's dogs, dutifully make my way to the kitchen!) Our friend Helen brought us the most yummy dinner--chili, cornbread, salad, strawberries, and chocolate cake! And to the card senders--you know who you are--what a joy to get mail. Thank you all!Lastly, I opened a card today from my mother-in-law, Abby, and it was actually a birthday gift! Had I known it was that, I would have saved it to open next Monday, when I turn 53. My family is frantically asking me what I want to do for my birthday. Three days after the two-drug chemo, I have NO idea! So we'll play it by ear and no matter what we do or don't do on that day, I will be thanking God for the gift of another day of life and the start of a new year. And I will be thanking Him for all of you on my "rope crew," helping me climb this mountain one step at a time.Love,Gabrielle